Monday, June 25, 2012

The second Hunger Games has ended and as expected Katniss made it out alive. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for some of the other victors. While Katniss is rescued from the arena by the rebels, some of the other still-alive victors are taken by the Capitol and being tortured for information. But the rebels want Katniss to become their "Mockingjay", the bird which has become their symbol of hope, to help rally the troupes that are leading the revolution against the Capitol. Can the rebels succeed and wrest control back from the oppressive Capitol government? Or will it be the end of free life as they know it?

I enjoyed this final book in The Hunger Games trilogy nearly as much as the first one. There's a lot of emotion going on here; it had me laughing one minute and crying the next. Instead of focusing on the Katniss-Peeta-Gale triangle as readers might expect, the relationship issue takes a back seat to the war that is being fought front and center in this book. And yes, by the end, the question of whether Katniss chooses Gale or Peeta is resolved as well. When I'd finished reading, I found myself feeling a bit melancholy that I was done with the trilogy, and the movie is not yet out on DVD, since I didn't want it to end. :)

Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Katniss and Peeta have survived the Hunger Games once and emerged from the arena as victors. Unfortunately, Katniss unwittingly inflamed the Capitol, and President Snow in particular, with what was perceived to be an act of defiance in the arena and now her and everyone she cares about is paying the price. Winning the games was supposed to mean a worry-free life for her and her family, but instead Katniss and Peeta are called back into the arena for a second time, to participate in the Quarter Quell, aka the Seventy-fifth Hunger Games. Can she and Peeta be lucky enough to survive a second time in the arena? And if they don't, what's to become of their families?

This follow-up to The Hunger Games started off a bit slower than it's predecessor, but began to pick up steam about 1/3 of the way in. I can't really say I liked it as much as the first book but most nearly so. The author is a terrific story teller and all the characters are interesting and memorable. Right after I finished this, I immediately loaded up Mockingjay on my Kindle as it seems to pick up right where this one leaves off. And then I'll anxiously await the DVD to see if the movie lives up to the book(s). :)